GOP's Harkins scoresa landslide victory in Stratford

By Richard Weizel, STAFF WRITER

Published 7:06 pm, Tuesday, September 15, 2009

STRATFORD -- State Rep. John Harkins, R-Stratford, won a landslide victory over his GOP challenger in Tuesday's mayoral primary, gaining an unprecedented 80 percent of the Republican vote to run for mayor against incumbent Democrat James R. Miron and independent candidate Dominic Costello in November.

Harkins, who had gained his party's nomination over Best 58-11 at the July Republican Town Committee Nominating Caucus, won by a margin of 1,406 to 365, in an "extremely high" primary voter turnout, according to Republican Registrar of Voters Lou DeCilio. DeCilio, who is also Harkins' campaign manager, said 30 percent of the GOP's 5,967 voters turned out to the primary Tuesday, compared to most primary turnouts that don't exceed 20-22 percent.

"Our goal is to return civility and transparency to the mayor's office and town government, and tonight we took a major step," the 45-year-old Harkins, standing on a chair, told an exuberant crowd of more than 100 supporters jammed into his campaign headquarters in a Main Street storefront near Paradise Green.

"I had hoped we could win by a good margin, but never in my wildest imagination did I expect to gain 80 percent of the vote. I believe the numbers and the high turnout sends a strong message to our opponents that people are excited about our campaign and are ready for a change in the mayor's office," Harkins said, to raucous applause and cheering.

While Harkins campaign headquarters overflowed with a buzz of excitement, as even some prominent town Democrats and independents there said they will work for his campaign, the 55-year-old Best sat alone in his campaign headquarters just a short distance away, looking as defeated as the results indicated.

"I lost, but no, I never thought it would be by this large a margin," said Best, sitting in the nearly empty storefront as some campaign workers cleaned up. "I will support the Republican nominee for mayor, but that's about all I have to say." Best, who ran as an independent candidate for mayor four years ago, declined comment when asked if he had any idea why voters had rejected his mayoral bid so soundly.

"I lost, that's it," Best said.

But some Republican leaders said Best may have been hurt badly by his independent mayoral campaign in 2005 they believe cost the party's endorsed candidate Domenic Costello, election as the town's first mayor, and his primary attempt this time that made him appear like a spoiler who was working with Miron to divide the GOP.

Miron was elected as the town's first mayor four years ago in a five-way field, with Best and Costello splitting a large part of the remaining votes, as GOP leaders grumbled that without Best their candidate would have won.

Until earlier this year, however, Best appeared headed for the Republican nomination, vowing he would never run again as an independent and sought the official GOP endorsement.

But when Harkins, a seven-term state representative entered the race earlier this year, he quickly gained backing from most party leaders, and raised more than $70,000 in a war chest to go to battle against Miron. After Harkins gained the party endorsement, however, Best gained 299 registered Republican signatures -- 14 more than were needed to ensure a primary.

"Republican voters saw through Best's charade and voted for the candidate they know they can trust, and who also has the best chance to beat the mayor," DeCilio said. "Now we can focus on the election in November and show we will be a united party determined to ensure that John (Harkins) wins the mayoral election."

Joe Crudo, the Republican Town Committee chairman, said he's pleased Harkins won a decisive victory that gives the party "the momentum" to beat Miron and Costello in November.

"We're ready now to go to battle with John Harkins as out candidate," said Crudo.

"Just like the results tonight were a reflection of the Republican Town Committee's Caucus, I think we can expect the election results in November to reflect how strongly voters of all parties support our candidate."

Harkins said now that the primary has been determined he's ready to "debate the issues with my opponents" and show why "we need new town leadership from someone who has the best interest of residents at heart. For too long I have been approached on the floor of the capital in Hartford and asked by representatives around the state what is going on in our town. We have become the center of jokes and ridicule, and I intend to change that with quality leadership."

In a Democratic primary, former Town Council Majority Leader Michael Singh failed in his challenge of endorsed council candidate Jason Santi in District 4, losing by a 95-68 margin. Greg Wanamaker also lost his challenge to the Democrats' endorsed Zoning Commission candidate Jim Sheridan, an incumbent from the zoning panel's District 3, which encompasses Town Council Districts 5 and 6. Sheriden won 114-61.